


Through the Grass

by niik



Category: No. 6 - All Media Types, No. 6 - Asano Atsuko
Genre: Canon Compliant, Character Growth, Flirting as bickering, Hurt/Comfort, Intro to socialism, M/M, Not very indulgent, Pining, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rating May Change, Reunion, Shameless plug for my ideas on creating a society, Shion's fatal responsibility kink, Trust Issues, but as realistic and optimistic as I can manage
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:53:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26726998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niik/pseuds/niik
Summary: Five years have passed since the wall fell and Shion and Nezumi have parted ways. As Shion painstakingly devotes himself to the reconstruction of No. 6 and the establishment of a city-state that truly benefits its citizens, he awaits Nezumi's return with a heart full of longing. When Shion gets word from Inukashi that Nezumi has been spotted back in West Block, inside the boundaries of No. 6, he no longer knows what he'll do next, or what lies in store for their promised reunion. Will time have changed the two young men beyond repair? Regardless of the reasons why Nezumi has come back to the city, Shion is determined to not let him leave so easily once again.
Relationships: Nezumi/Shion (No. 6)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	1. dusk over the city, a full day's walk away

He could clearly see the city sparkling along a small stretch of the twilit horizon from the distant hillside. The tall grass was the pale green color of midsummer and wavered in the breeze alongside Nezumi’s spirit. He had planned for all of his descent back toward No. 6, accounted for the seasons, for his route back, for the small townships along the way that he had learned to avoid and those which he could rest unbothered, yet he still could not predict what lay in store for him inside that shimmering city. He had wrestled with his curiosity for long enough, he consoled himself. He would just slip into the city, see what had become of the place he helped destroy and of the boy he entrusted its future to. He had no ties to hold him there any longer. So much could happen in five years. _No use for second-guessing myself now_ , he thought as he stood upright on the pale hill and moved his gaze up toward the gentle indigo sky. Several stars flickered dimly in and out of existence. He felt his proximity to the boy his fate had been tied so deeply to aching in his chest, being pushed closer by the evening wind on his sweat-dampened back. _What’s become of you, Shion?_ Nezumi wavered alone on the hillside in his desire and apprehension. 

* * *

He wasn’t sure if it was the hot wind that had set in overnight, the dreary fatigue that the summer often brought him, or just a general lack of interest in the presentation he was scanning in his office, but he had felt restless all day. He wished he could put his life aside for a moment to just sit out in the sun and wait for whatever it was this day could bring him. Shion sighed deeply and cast aside his idle thoughts. _I just have to get through this day, the other Committee members are waiting on my feedback for this. Geez,_ he scolded himself, _get it together. I can do this._ He sighed again even more heavily as if to physically dispel his distracted thoughts before redirecting his attention to his notepad and laptop once more. 

Although this office building was once the Moondrop, it was now a more bland and utilitarian governmental building marking the city center. Shion’s office in particular was somewhat small, partitioned off from a handful of other office cubicles belonging to the Committee members also in Shion’s team’s jurisdiction. Rather than the polished chrome and matte black that defined the look of the Moondrop, both inside and out, the Restructural Committee held a more natural look. Between the beige walls, pale wooden desks, and creme colored partitions, the office could have been mistaken for a meek public library if not for the general lack of books. It was humble, to say the least, and Shion preferred it that way. He had grown somewhat fond of his little desk space which housed a small plant, his laptop, and office phone, and a few small personal items like the picture of baby Shionn and Inukashi a year or so prior, smiling in his mom’s bakery taped up on the partition in front of him. 

It had been a difficult last five years at his job as part of the Restructural Committee, but to paint it as entirely unenjoyable would have been dishonest as well. The work was time-consuming, often infuriatingly bureaucratic, and required a meticulous kind of honesty which kept Shion up late each night worrying if he was making the right decisions for each and every citizen. It was meaningful, yet grueling work. There had been a point two or so years ago where Shion had turned his weekends off into volunteer days, where he worked as a medical assistant at a no-cost clinic in Lost Town not far from the West Block. Sure, it had taken time to get the right training, plus the time to set up all of the necessities for a clinic, including the location, but it gave Shion that sense of helping people in the real world in real-time, not just through policies and budget approvals. 

And, well, this presentation was quite boring. Shion looked down at his notes and sighed. There were still people without access to proper medical care, especially former West Block residents, but the majority of Chronos residents were fighting back hard against the new proposals for universal medical coverage that would be funded via taxes. Despite five years of reconstructing No. 6 after the wall was brought down, it was still a struggle to unite the societies of No. 6. The former residents of Chronos may have acknowledged their former restriction under the dictatorship and surveillance state, but were still unwilling to part with their material luxuries and access to the best schools, workplaces, and medical professionals. His colleague had prepared this presentation on how best to inform the public on this proposal in order for it to have the best chance of being passed. He couldn’t have said whether any of this will work better than its already been going. 

Shion stretched backward moving his gaze from his laptop to the window and yawned as he stared at the tops of the lush green trees swaying in the wind. The desk phone began ringing abruptly. Thinking it must be a Committee member on another floor asking about something, Shion picked it up.

“Hello?”

“Hey— It’s. I know I don’t usually call about stuff—”, a brisk, tense voice came on the line that Shion immediately recognized as Inukashi’s.

“Inukashi? Is everything alright? Did something happen with Shionn?”, he questioned concernedly. He wasn’t even sure how Inukashi got this number, besides maybe through asking his mom? If that was the case, something must have happened that was urgent. Inukashi exhaled shakily into the phone.

“Shion, everything’s fine here. No one’s hurt or anything like that,” they paused for a moment, steeling themself, before starting off against brusquely. “Listen, I don’t know how to tell you this— but one of my dogs just came round to me telling me he’s seen Nezumi down in West Block. I trust my dogs, Shion. If they tell me Nezumi’s here, that means he’s here.”

Shion held the phone in shock, not really knowing what to do with that information. He continued to gaze out the window, looking distractedly at each leaf on the treetop moving about in the breeze. He swallowed, then tried to think of something to say in response before Inukashi cut him off.

“Shion? Hello? You there?”

“Hi, yes. Yeah, I’m here...I’m— I just…” Shion let out a large sigh, “I believe you, Inukashi, I just don’t know what to do,” he replied flatly, feeling a bit like his brain had been fried.

“Do yourself a favor and don’t do anything,” they advised sternly. “Listen, I’m telling you to give you a heads up, ‘cause I can’t just know this all by myself… and honestly I don’t trust that guy— I know you don’t like it when I talk shit about him, but Nezumi is bad news, Shion, and I’m afraid what him being back in No. 6 is gonna mean for you.”

Shion set his mouth into a terse line and leaned back into his office chair. “Nezumi is not a bad person. I’m sure he’s back because he promised— to check in on the city.”

“Yeah well, if you say so, Shion. Anyways, I got shit to do so I’ll see you later. Keep me posted. Later,” Inukashi wrapped up curtly before the tone signalling that the call had ended rang out.

Shion placed the phone back down onto his office desk and sighed yet another sigh. He tried focusing once more on the leaves outside to calm his thoughts, organize them in a way that made sense. He felt that the restlessness he had been sensing all day now made sense. Nezumi was back inside the city. Something new and unpredictable was going to happen. Maybe it was that Nezumi had been in West Block attempting to get inside his old room, the bunker on the edge of the forest? Shion had selfishly kept that room, the beautiful space precious to the both of them, and locked it aside in hopes of a new day when… Well, maybe that new day was finally here. 

The phone on his desk rang loudly once more. Lost in his thoughts, Shion scrambled to pick it up, nearly knocking his laptop and notepad off his desk in the process. His heart sped up at the thought of Nezumi being back in the city at the same time he sat here, waiting. 

“Y-yes?” Shion wheezed out, tapping his fingers tensely against his knee.

“Afternoon, Committee Member Shion. Could you come by the Health and Human Resources Dept. offices when you get a minute to go over some of the necessary supply stocks to be dispersed in West Block?” the voice of a polite and straight-forward woman emitted through the phone to him. It was nothing like the soft boyish voice he’d expected for even half a second. _How stupid am I? How could Nezumi call me at a time like this?_

“Oh, right! I’ll be down in the next half hour, does that work out for you?” The true beauty of Shion’s work in the Restructural Committee was its ability to consume nearly all idle thoughts. He began aligning his laptop and notepad on his desk, breathing smoothly and thinking of the supplies to be allocated which might be a part of the briefing in the Health and Human Resources Dept. Which items were necessary for living, which he would fight for. 

“That’d be really greatly appreciated. Thanks, Shion! See you in a bit,” the Committee member ended the call cheerily. He would have to get on with his day regardless of Nezumi’s appearance. This was his life now. Nezumi told Shion to work to create a better city, to help those in need, to guide the way for the diplomatic and bureaucratic affairs alongside the humanitarian and economic force. _How like him to make me wait, even after I know he’s so close,_ he thought watching the wind kick up fallen leaves and dirt on the streets outside his window. 

* * *

By the time that the hot blustery evening had swallowed up the day, Shion had made it off work in time to watch a deeply colored sunset between the tree-lined paths and the residential skylines between No. 6 business center and the residential districts linking City Hall to Lost Town. If anything could assuage the throbbing intersection of doubt, longing, and shame that held itself deep in his chest it was the night wind, blowing about him warmly. Unlike the storm that beckoned Nezumi into his life so many years ago, this wind held no terror, no tendrils or death or pain, but only overdue apprehension and anticipation. Shion looked into the windows of the townhouses he passed as he traipsed home, looking at the dim silhouettes of strangers and wondering, deeply, where Nezumi was going to be sleeping this night, where he would be this time tomorrow and if they would be side by side. He felt himself pause several moments longer than usual while passing the dark outlines of strangers in the streets nearing Lost Town, hoping for a moment they may just be the person he was looking for….

By the time he reached his house the first stars were peeking brightly through their dull curtains. He undid the rickety wooden side gate and walked through their narrow brick alleyway to the rear of their house where his and Karan’s proper front door stood. The past five years, he was never one to hasten inside as fast as he could, but tonight he found himself hesitating, wavering, more than ever. He observed the worn brass doorknob which his mother loved dearly. He placed a hand on the solid wood door, a dark wood, littered with knicks and scrapes from years of use. He didn’t want to go in and go to bed just yet. He closed his eyes and felt the wind blowing through him, connecting him with all other things their gales had touched. If Nezumi really was back he’d make his way here. He’d come to meet Shion. With those thoughts guiding him, Shion ducked inside, quickly eating leftovers from the fridge and waving hello to his mother, now heading to bed for her own early hours on the job tomorrow. After showering, Shion shut himself away in his small makeshift room, not much more than a bed, a desk, and a rack for clothing. He lay in the middle of his bed and thought of nothing but the soft, clear voice he wished to hear more than anything else in the world.


	2. a pale silhouette in lamplight

The shrill ringing of his alarm reverberated in Shion’s small dark room. Rolling over, he switched off the alarm then remained in bed a moment longer. His body was tired, something that had become more and more common in the past several years. It was something he had just learned to push through. After his experience infiltrating the Correctional Facility and surviving its destruction, he found in himself an improved ability to push past his physical limits. For Shion, the resilience he gained through that grueling hardship was what enabled him to work so hard, without a day's rest.  _ A night’s sleep in my own bed is enough for me _ , he rationalized.  _ I have a comfortable life, food, and shelter— besides, this work is important for other people. _ He propped himself up in bed, yawning. He went over his plans for the day: volunteering at the medical clinic as both a medical practitioner and the chief admin for the location. He liked seeing the patients that came from West Block and knowing that they could receive medical access as easily as those in downtown No. 6 and Chronos. Maybe after, he could get dinner in West Block as a treat before heading home… 

Padding out of his room into the bathroom, Shion switched on the lights which flickered wearily before coming on. He stared at his face in the medicine cabinet mirror. His skin was pallid and his face was thin. He thought as a teen that his early twenties might make him a bit bigger, maybe stronger, and more handsome, but as Shion examined his face in the harsh light he found himself more wiry and plain than ever before.  _ Maybe Nezumi was right in that my hair color is my main point of interest,  _ he thought dully. He remembered Inukashi’s call suddenly.  _ Was Nezumi really back in No. 6?  _ Either way, he was still left waiting for Nezumi to come to him. Could he trust Nezumi’s promise? He felt with every day that had passed more and more doubt over the bond he had thought he and Nezumi shared.  _ I’ll have to wait,  _ he consoled himself quickly as he mussed his short pale hair, quickly shaved, then brushed his teeth. He wanted to eat breakfast with his mother before leaving for West Block, and for that to happen he’d have to get ready on time. Grabbing his things from his room, Shion headed toward the front of the house, where the kitchen and bakery storefront lay. 

Heading through the kitchen from the back of the house he could hear his mother laughing boisterously from the front of the shop, immersed in conversation with some customer. Not wanting to interrupt his mother while she worked, he peeked his head out from the kitchen into the bakery itself to greet his mother briefly before grabbing food and some coffee alone in the back, but the moment he peered out from behind the display counter his thoughts came tumbling to a halt. Seated at a small table in the corner of the store sat Nezumi, half-lit by the early sun coming through the nearby window. He had a crooked smile stuck onto his face and was animatedly describing to Karan some sort of story from his old West Block life as an actor to her great delight. Upon spotting Shion, Nezumi quickly stopped his anecdote and his smile became almost sheepish. Karan quickly turned to notice Shion behind her and smiled knowingly. 

“Shion, good morning! Look who’s come to join us for breakfast!” She smoothed out her apron with the sort of nervous excitement of someone who is unsure how a surprise will pan out on its recipient. But by the time she was through with her exclamation, Shion had marched across the small space toward Nezumi, pulling him up into a tight embrace without hesitation.

“Nezumi,” he exhaled into his shoulder.  _ You’ve come back to me. _ He could feel Nezumi’s quickened breathing and the firm flesh of his shoulders and back beneath his own arms. Nezumi felt just the same, yet entirely different all at once— his height, his smell, even the length of his hair had changed. Eventually Nezumi settled into the hug momentarily, giving Shion a light squeeze around his ribs before attempting to wriggle out of the embrace, laughing softly and exasperatingly. 

"Yes, hello to you too,” he patted Shion awkwardly on the shoulder before pushing him arm’s length away. He observed Shion at that distance for a beat before remarking jokingly to Karan, "Jeez, is he always like this before he gets his morning coffee?”

Shion placed his hand over Nezumi’s then sank down into the seat beside the one Nezumi had previously been sitting at. “It’s not that— I was just really surprised to see you here. No, even that is an understatement, though Inukashi did tell me yesterday that they saw you around,” he admitted. Nezumi sat down as well, taking a sip of his own coffee from a mug out of the kitchen, not the paper cups reserved for customers. The sight of Nezumi back in his house warmed his heart immensely. 

“Gah, should have known that brat’d be sniffing around the whole city still,” Nezumi complained wearily. “Well, it’s not like my return was a secret anyway.”

“You shouldn’t talk about them that way,” Shion chided. “But more importantly, what do you want to do now that you’re back?” He swiveled his gaze around to his mother, now making her way from behind the display counter toward them carrying a plated danish and a cup of coffee in her hands. “Mom, we have room for Nezumi to stay for a while, right?”

Karan set down both dishes in front of Shion, then took away Nezumi’s empty plate. She opened her mouth to speak at the same time as Nezumi.

“Of course we—,” she began.

“Hold your horses, right there,” Nezumi pointed an accusatory finger at Shion. “I’m just back to check in on the city. Curiosity finally took me over out there, is all.”

Shion leaned in with fervent interest, “Out  _ where _ ?”

“Outside of No. 6, dumbass. I wanted to know what changes have happened and how the city is getting along. It’s been basically five years, right? That’s not that long of a period of time, really.”

To Shion, this seemed completely untrue. So, so much had taken place in these five years. Soon Nezumi would come to understand how much he and the city had both changed during that time. He sighed.

“Well I’m volunteering at the medical clinic today and tomorrow, but the next day I could block out some time to show you around the city and really describe to you all that’s taken place.” Shion checked the time and registered the late hour with some shock. “Oh, shoot. I actually need to be leaving now if I want to try to make it on time at all,” He rushed, draining his coffee in two large gulps and wrapping the danish in a napkin. “You’ll be around today, right? Meet me at the clinic in the West Block when I get off at six. Mom can tell you how to get there.”

“I’ll be around. Sounds good,” Nezumi nodded his assent, relieved that his inquisition was put on hold as Shion hurried out the door. Kissing his mom on the cheek, and taking a restrained pause to brusquely wave goodbye to Nezumi, Shion vanished out the bakery doors with his danish half shoved into his mouth. Nezumi drooped his shoulders at Shion’s disappearance and sheepishly sipped his own cup of coffee. Catching Karan’s worried glance from behind the counter, he attempted a small smile and noted her furrowed brows in response. Grabbing a rag, she rubbed down a spot on the counter until it vanished. Leaning forward until both her elbows rested on the table, she set her gaze on Nezumi and took him in for a moment. He willed himself to remain still and keep the eye contact, not willing to turn down the confrontation.

“Do you think you could lend me some help around the bakery for a bit, Nezumi?”

“Sure, why not? Seems like a great chance to get to know the locals,” he smiled a small crooked smile. “Besides, I’ve got some time to kill before six.”

* * *

  
  


On the corner of a recently developed street in West Block, nearby where the open-air market now was, stood a small white building where Shion had set up the free medical clinic. From the outside, it could have been mistaken for a residential house, if it wasn’t for the large sign on the patch of lawn out front indicating that it was a medical office. Although care for more urgent injuries and illnesses needed to be outsourced, most other concerns could be brought to the attention of a handful of medical professionals who took shifts every day of the week from nine in the morning to six at night. Shion was proud to have created the clinic from the ground up, after having tried everything he could as a committee member to advocate for greater and more widespread access to quality healthcare, he could no longer tolerate waiting for the slow-moving bureaucratic processes to catch up to his aspirations. He decided to take up official medical training himself to become a certified practitioner on his off-days and once that was done he went through all the legal and bureaucratic hoops to set up this clinic as a legitimate medical establishment. At first, the reaction from other committee members was mixed— some admired Shion for his forthright and humanitarian nature, while others, those most against the healthcare reforms Shion advocated for, accused him of unfairly using his committee membership as leverage for achieving his reforms without going through the proper channels. In the end, however, since he had gone through the process with lawful diligence, there was nothing those who opposed the clinic could do to stop him.

It was a quarter-to-six— he had wrapped up with his last patient early after treating a mildly infected hangnail. In general, the patients who visited came to him for everything from non-urgent infections to common viruses, contraceptives to pediatric care. As it was, he was cleaning up the exam room, disposing of the paper shield on the exam bed, spraying and wiping the counters and chair over, then finally washing his hands. This whole day, the backmost part of his mind thought incessantly of Nezumi. He wondered just what he was up to— was he still with his mom, or was he wandering the city, seeing what was new? Would he even be there to meet Shion after work as he had promised? Shion had fretted over what to say when he saw him next, what they would do together. And what if Nezumi didn’t come, hadn’t remembered, didn’t want to see Shion? These thoughts had churned in Shion’s mind sporadically throughout the day and he was glad to have some sort of distraction in the meanwhile. He tossed the waste into the trash and headed out towards the reception area to wrap up administrative reports for the day. As he got into the front, he stopped suddenly in the doorway. Sitting with legs crossed, flipping leisurely through a magazine was Nezumi. Shion stood admiring his candid composure and the smooth movements of his hands as he turned the page with a flick. Nezumi must have felt his eyes on himself as he looked up suddenly. 

Finished for the day?” He asked coolly. 

“Just about. I need to get some paperwork done for the day, then I’ll be ready,” Shion paused for a moment staring at Nezumi as he sat there in front of him, then gasped as it occurred to him. “Oh! Nezumi, would you mind if I took a look at your shoulder while you're here? I’m curious to know how it’s healed up.”

Nezumi deliberated for a moment then shrugged, placing the magazine to the side before standing. “Sure, let’s hear your expert opinion, doctor.”

Shion waved him forward to follow him, then walked back to the exam room and pulled down a new sheet of paper over the exam bed. He gestured to Nezumi to sit in front of him. 

“Well actually, I’m not a doctor. I’m a nurse practitioner,” he explained. Nezumi rolled his eyes in response, smiling. “Could you take off your shirt? I won’t be able to thoroughly check your range of motion otherwise.”

“Trying to get my clothes off already?” Nezumi teased with no real annoyance behind his words. He was already getting his shirt off without arguing against Shion’s request. Shion laughed despite himself, watching Nezumi toss aside his shirt. His chest exposed, Nezumi cleared his throat slightly then rolled both his shoulders back tensely. Shion lifted the arm on Nezumi's wounded side and rotated it forward, then backward, then lowered it up and down before doing the same to the other side.

"Hmm…," Shion deliberated, focused. He prodded the muscle around the two bullet wounds. "Well, you know this already, but you suffered a lot of trauma especially to your deep tissue all around the entrance and exit wound. Your range of motion is really uneven too, which is to be expected. How did the initial healing go? Were there any infections?"

Nezumi looked down to where Shion was continuing to poke and prod, regarding him without emotion. "It wasn't great. There weren't any infections thanks to your and that doctor's diligence in stitching me up. I had to baby my shoulder pretty badly for a while after, couldn't use it for anything too grueling in case the wound tore again, so I lost a lot of flexibility and strength on that side."

"Is it still painful? The possibility of nerve damage is high after suffering multiple puncture wounds to the same region," Shion placed Nezumi's arm back down to his side, and carefully avoided looking at the keloid covering a fair portion of Nezumi's back, knowing it would be too obvious this close to one another.

"It hurts occasionally. Mostly it tingles or stings, which I figured was the nerve damage," he looked back up at Shion then leaned back on the exam bed propping himself up with his arms behind himself.

"You know, we have pretty good treatment for those issues here. We may not be able to do much about nerve damage without invasive surgery, but there are a lot of really great physical therapy programs in No.6… I'm not sure how long you'll be around but I could pull some strings to get you in even though you're not a citizen…," Shion trailed off hopefully.

Nezumi sighed and waved him off. "Nah, don't bother. If I've managed this long I can keep managing," he replied dismissively and began looking around the room at the various medical equipment.

Shion understood that Nezumi was avoiding the topic of the length of his stay in No. 6 and the details of the last five years intentionally. Whereas five years ago Shion would have been tempted to grill Nezumi for details despite resistance, he now took the hint. "Well, okay," Shion nodded. "Let me know if you change your mind." 

He handed Nezumi back his shirt, but Nezumi paused without putting it on and furrowed his brow at Shion for a moment as if trying to parse over a complex problem. Was he expecting Shion to fight him on this? Tugging his shirt back over his head, Nezumi let out a dry laugh.

"What?"

"Oh nothing," Nezumi drawled. "It just feels like old times with you playing doctor is all." He smiled wryly at Shion.

Shion huffed out a laugh. "I told you earlier, I'm not a doctor. I'm a—"

"You're a nurse," Nezumi supplied, standing up from the exam bed. "Yeah, yeah. Obtuse as always, huh?"

"I'm just telling you the facts," Shion laughed lightly, stuffing his hands into his pockets, staring at Nezumi with a contented smile. "Hey, how about we go get dinner near here before we head back? I’ll show you around some of the popular places in West Block!”

Nezumi leaned back against the wall and shrugged. “Sure, sounds good to me.” 

“Great!” Shion beamed ecstatically. Nezumi internally grimaced, beginning to feel upset with himself at Shion’s endless affection for him. He gave a limp smile in return, but Shion was already looking away, tearing the paper sheet away from the exam bed, spraying it, and wiping vigorously. Then he gestured Nezumi out back into the waiting room, flicking the exam room lights off after him before ducking into a small reception desk in the corner where he began to flip through papers. “Let me submit some documents for the day and then we can go.”

* * *

Out on the warm twilit sidewalks in the market district of West Block were a number of small food vendors underneath strings of lights. People young and old were sitting about the small tables populating the wide alleys between one block and the next. There was a youthful feeling in the clear midsummer sky, a feeling of possibility and excitement that was palpable not only in the stars blinking brightly into being but in the bustle of the food stalls, the young people drinking and laughing on the street. Shion, too, looked full of possibility, Nezumi thought. He was taller, less thin, maybe, yet equally as worn out as he had looked when they had lived together in West Block, in a place not far from where they were now. But at the same time, he was handsome in a strange way, Nezumi pondered as he watched Shion waiting to pick up their food from a small plain street vendor. Shion was gazing up at the lights above with a strange, lost look on his face, no doubt thinking to himself intensely about one thing or another. Yet, he seemed maybe quieter, more subtle. Was that the effect that five years of public service had on someone? Nezumi leaned back and looked at the lights above him, pondering the question.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting so much today,” Shion said worriedly as he approached the table. “I got us the same thing. I hope you don’t mind,” Shion placed both their meals and their utensils on the table, sitting himself down in his seat, drawing a breath. 

“You’re high in demand, that’s nothing to apologize for,” Nezumi waved him off lightly. Shion attempted to cover his grin, grabbing his spoon and began digging in. Following suit, Nezumi picked up his spoon and began eating tentatively. It was something like a stew but with some kind of vegetable he had never seen before.

“Not bad at all,” he praised with some surprise. “But it's hard to get the taste of moldy bread out of my mouth in this place.”

Shion covered his mouth as he laughed, then swallowed with a large gulp. “It was pretty strange for me too, at first. For over a year, I couldn’t even come here. Or I did when I absolutely had to, rather. But West Block has really developed. As soon as food businesses saw the open market area here, they started parking vans and setting up little stalls on the street.” He pulled a water bottle out of the bag at his feet and sipped at it slowly before offering it to Nezumi. 

“Not like any of the people in West Block could afford eating out, though.” He took it from him with a thanks, drank from it, then handed it back. 

“It’s true. Most of the customers, in the beginning, were from inside the walls. A lot of people wanted to check out what the West Block really was like, and it kind of became a tourist attraction,” Shion screwed his face up in distaste. Nezumi understood that feeling. It seemed so inconsiderate of the fatal damage done that day in the market square to start busing people in for trendy trips to the ruins. Shion had placed the water bottle on the table very much equidistant from the two of them and looked at Nezumi with a meaningful look of finality before he started eating again. Nezumi’s lips quirked and he had to fight a laugh. There was a beat of silence as they worked to finish their food before Nezumi spoke up, leaning on his elbow over the table.

“So are most of these people out now from No. 6?” Nezumi motioned around vaguely with the tip of his finger, observing the loose crowd around them. Shion’s eyebrows drew together sternly and he pouted.

“People in West Block are from No. 6 too, now,” he chastised. “It’s one city now.”

Nezumi raised both hands in defense. “Geez, sorry. Then are these all locals to West Block? Or…” He took the water bottle off the table and swirled it casually before taking another drink. Finishing his food, Shion rested both forearms on the table in front of him and watched Nezumi as he played with his water bottle. He became absorbed watching Nezumi’s delicate hands move for the first time in five years… “Hello? Uh, Shion?”

“Oh!” Shion fumbled then began laughing. “Right, right. I’d say it’s about half and half? A good number of the people out here are actually living in West Block.”

Nezumi placed the bottle down again and pushed away his finished food. Shion was looking at him too intently. It was making his face start to prickle warmly. He looked away, off into the streets. “I saw a lot of new houses yesterday as I was walking…” He trailed off deliberately. “I tried to check out my old place but….” He slowly turned his head to glance at Shion, who was frowning at the mention of the bunker.

“I figured you’d try. There are new residential developments at street level, but the bunker is actually still down below,” Shion placed his hand upon the table close to where Nezumi’s arm now rested and looked forlornly between the two. “Do you want to go right now? I have a key for you to use, too.” 

“Sure. I’m finished eating. Thank you, by the way,” Nezumi stood up grabbing his and Shion’s trash and moving to the spot where it seemed others were tossing their trash. He placed his hands behind his head as he stretched, walking back toward Shion, who was standing hunched over as he dug in his bag for his keys. Finally securing them in his hand, he looked up to see Nezumi beside him and they began walking in the right direction.

The sun had fully set now. The street lamps lit their path mostly, aside from the occasional store display and porch light. The streets were roughly paved, some cobblestone, others asphalt, all of them uneven and patchy. They glimmered beneath the footsteps in the yellow lamplight which cut large arching pools of light from street to street. There were the occasional cars parked on the sides of the street, or in the driveway of a home. Nezumi noted the lights on in the windows of the homes they walked by. He was lost. This place no longer resembled the West Block he knew. All the better for that, it seemed. This place was a real town now. He had many more questions for Shion later, but from what he could see, the circumstances had really changed for the people of this place. He felt a small flutter of pride in his chest, more for Shion than for himself. Nezumi looked over at him. His white hair soaked with the streetlight in the growing darkness. He was walking to his side, glancing occasionally between Nezumi, the night sky, and the dim houses around him in a similar way to Nezumi. A small breeze fluffed the hair that hung on Shion’s forehead back up into the air, billowing his buttoned shirt slightly as the wind caught his opened collar. For a moment, Nezumi watched his neat row of pale eyelashes flutter slowly as he walked. 

The street became more narrow as they turned a corner, causing them to draw closer to one another. Their shoulders grazed as they walked the remainder of this tiny walkway, finally stopping in front of a brick-red multi-level apartment complex. Shion turned to Nezumi and indicated around a corner by a small parking lot where there was a stairway down into an underground hallway, branching into several different doorsteps. This, Nezumi remembered. They walked down the steps carefully. It felt so strange to be heading down together on a summer night. Shion tried to savor the feeling of going back to this room, tried to make note of the way it felt to be with Nezumi again. They approached the right door. Shion held out a pristine steel key, inserted it into the door, and turned the handle. 

It was all the same yet brand new. The smooth cement walls were as drab and clammy as ever, but now lit not by candlelight or the small central stove, but by two small, old-fashioned lamps Shion was now busying himself turning on at each side of the room. The rows of bookshelves were uniform and pristinely dusted— it seemed that the whole room had not only been mopped and swept up, but that fresh laundry had been brought in, as a folded up blanket sat politely on the corner of the couch and two plump linen-covered pillows rested at the top of the small bed to the back of the room. The dinged up dining table to the front right of the had been recently polished with dark oil, and underneath a worn green woven rug lay. On the stove lay a new kettle beside their tin saucepan. On the table gleaming with low lamplight stood a shabby plate set for two, each with its own pale mug. 

Nezumi let out a long whistle. “Damn, this place has never looked so good, has it? Have you been staying here?” He walked around the room, grazing his fingers on the tabletop, and the bookshelves before plopping down on the bed and stroking the new linen there. “It looks great, seriously.”

“Thanks! It’s been a nice side project, but I don’t really stay here often. It’s too far of a commute to the city center for me to justify it, plus it’s nice to be around my mom when I can see her.” Shion sat on the couch gently and took hold of one of the new small pillows to hold as he scrutinized Nezumi’s reactions with interest. Feeling his stare, Nezumi stopped his casual gazing about this new room to look at Shion squarely.

“What?” He questioned abruptly. “What are you thinking about?”

Shion raised his eyebrows in surprise before furrowing them together in thought. “Hmm, I’m trying to put my finger on it. Just all night…” He searched Nezumi’s face for a precise answer. Nezumi stared back at him with the same cool, open gaze as always, waiting. 

“‘Just all night’ what?”

“It just feels weird for us to be together with nothing on the line, right? Like, now there’s no one in danger, no reason for hiding… We’re just here together again because we want to be. It’s different than how it was before,” Shion explained in a rush. He fiddled his fingers with a stray thread on the blanket, avoiding Nezumi’s intense gaze. 

“Hmm, yeah. It’s true. We’re on our own paths now, not one we’re tied up in together,” Nezumi deliberated thoughtfully. “That’s a good thing though. We’re more free this way. Free to be ourselves.” At this, Shion threw Nezumi a searching glance. He laughed. “Geez, Shion. You overthink everything. It’s not like we’re two totally different people now, right?”

“... I suppose you’re right,” Shion replied with his brow still furrowed, mulling something over in his mind. A silence lulled between. With a sigh, Nezumi stood up and sat beside Shion on the couch, grabbing the blanket beside him and mirroring Shion’s hold on the pillow. Shion smiled at this. Nezumi turned toward Shion, propping an arm on the back of the couch which he rested his head against. He raised an eyebrow. “So, tell me how this place got saved with the new buildings all above it.”

“Well, I did have to pull some strings to save the row of bunkers—not only for this room!—but for the others as well, and those ones were still inhabited at the time. I argued that demolishing the rooms would be demolishing a historical part of West Block that had survived the Hunt.” Shion added defensively, “That’s not entirely wrong, either.” 

“Already using your position for personal gain?” Nezumi solemnly shook his head in disappointment. “I never thought you’d be corrupted so soon.” 

“Pfft, you say that, but you seem pretty happy to have your room back,” Shion retorted sharply. Nezumi’s sudden mischievous grin cut through his mock dismay. Shion sat upright for a moment in hesitation, then reached down for his bag and pulled out the key to the room. He held it out in his hand for Nezumi to take. “Here, it’s yours. It always has been, I’ve just been waiting for you to come back to take it.”

Nezumi's eyes flicked down at the key glinting in Shion’s pale palm and back up into Shion’s face. He restrained himself from answering openly but refused to blindly take the key for appearance's sake. He reached out his hands and folded Shion’s fingers around the key in his palm. “I can’t take this, Shion,” he murmured apologetically.

“It’s yours,” Shion insisted. “I don’t want it— I’ve been saving it for you.” He took Nezumi’s hands in his own and pressed the key between both his palms. He held Nezumi’s hands within his own and looked into his face, drawing closer. Sensing what was about to happen, Nezumi leaned back and coughed slightly, his heart beginning to beat fast out of embarrassment and guilt. 

“Okay, okay. I’ll take it,” he sighed in exasperation. “But will you hold onto it for me for now? I don't have anywhere to safely keep it.” Shion took both his hands away with reluctance. Nezumi held the key between his thumb and forefinger, letting it catch the yellow lamplight, then fall into silhouette. 

“I can, but… how are you going to sleep here tonight without the key?” Shion questioned confusedly. “... You are staying, right?” he added with anxiety.

Nezumi began tossing the key up with his good arm and catching it in his palm as it fell. “Your mama asked for my help in the shop tomorrow, so it’s probably best I sleep at your place to be there early in the morning,” he explained with contrived casualness, looking at Shion knowingly from the corner of his eye as he began to grin openly without restraint.

“Oh! That’s so great! Okay,” Shion snatched the key from Nezumi and attached it back to his keyring quickly. “We only have the couch to sleep on, unless you want to share my bed….but it’s still pretty small… It’s up to you really. Whatever is most comfortable.” He looked expectantly at Nezumi’s face, reached out and took one of his hands without hesitation. He held it gently and stroked the length of each of Nezumi’s fingers with the tip of his own. Nezumi acquiesced. 

“We’ve never had problems sharing a bed before, have we?” He batted his lashes knowingly as Shion’s face grew pink and he huffed a troubled sighed. Nezumi laughed. He stood up and placed the blanket aside where it was before. “We should head back now, though. It’s getting late.” 

“Right,” Shion nodded. He stood up and gathered his things, switching off both the lights before heading out. They both took a final look at the room, now half illuminated by the dim light of the outer hallway.

* * *

It was Nezumi's second time into Shion and Karan’s home in Lost Town and really little had changed in that time. The same well-worn furniture stood in the same places. The main difference Nezumi noted as he and Shion silently shuffled through the house in the late evening were a number of books on shelves and perhaps more art on the walls than there had been before. Shion showed him where cups were in the kitchen, where he could find towels in the hall closet, and, with feigned nonchalance, he indicated to a tall stack of books on his bedroom floor which he had thought Nezumi might enjoy. 

“Do you think I couldn’t get my hands on a single book in five years?” he asked quietly with a quirked smile on his lips. He sat on the small bed, playing with the pen on Shion’s nightstand. The thought was nice, yet overwhelming.  _ A common theme for Shion’s affections,  _ he thought without much annoyance. 

“I really didn’t know,” Shion admitted in a whisper. His mother was fast asleep. “I wasn’t sure you’d even be anywhere near a place with books. No. 6 has gotten pretty wide access to books, and the arts, now, so I’ve really expanded my reading,” he said, placing his bag to the side and changing out of his shirt. “I never realized just how many more books existed than those outside of that room! It’s pretty amazing.” Kneeling down by the books and flipping through a few titles, Nezumi hummed in accordance. 

“Well, I’m definitely due for some light reading, that’s for sure.” Nezumi sat up. “Hey, could I borrow some clothes for the night and take a shower before bed?” 

“Oh! Sure, here,” Shion replied, pulling a shirt and some underwear out from a narrow wooden dresser tucked between the end of his bed and the wall. “Use whatever you need in there.”

Nezumi nodded and, taking the clothes from Shion, headed out into the hall. Shion sat in his bed, thinking dazedly about the turn of events his life had taken once more. He heard the bathroom door click shut, then a sudden burst of laughter that was quickly muffled. Shion smiled. What could he possibly be laughing about in there? Nezumi’s laughter lit small sparks of joy in his chest. Just two nights ago, how differently he was laying in bed thinking about the day! For the last five years, the worst part of his day was returning home to be alone with his thoughts. He filled his spare time as much as possible, as often as possible, from medical training to reading, to tidying the room in the bunker… But tonight his spare time had been filled with Nezumi, talking, laughing, watching one another… The door creaked open. He had been lost in his own thoughts for quite a while, as Nezumi was now changed into Shion’s loose clothes, smelling of soap, his dark, damp hair occasionally dripping serenely down onto his shoulders. He shut the door behind him and placed his old change of clothes on the floor by the wall.

Shion sat up on his elbows in bed. “Hey, what were you laughing about in there?”

Nezumi grinned in a slightly cruel way. “Seeing your razor in there, just thinking about you growing a beard, I couldn’t help but start laughing. It really caught me by surprise.” He flopped down on the small bed beside Shion, their shoulders pressing against one another. Shion scowled in annoyance, remembering all of the past times Nezumi had pleaded for him not to change. 

“Oh, what,” Nezumi sighed dramatically. “Am I not allowed to find that funny?”

Shion sat up more so as to look at Nezumi’s face squarely. “What’s so funny about growing up? It’s been five years— didn’t you come back to see change?” Nezumi’s mouth fell open as if to respond but no words came out. He was under the impression from the events of today that Shion had lost his pushy, indignant nature when confronted, but clearly they had reached a breaking point over the course of the night.

Nezumi started awkwardly, “Shion… I didn’t—” 

“No! Listen,” Shion whispered tersely. “Things are different now. You don’t get to come back and see everything’s the same as before. You wanted the city to change, right? Well, I’ve changed too. I’m not a child anymore. I don’t like it you treat me condescendingly. Things have changed.” His heart was racing and his face was flushed with anger. Tears pooled in his eyes and began dripping softly over his face. The mattress shifted as Nezumi sat up and began wiping the tears from Shion's face. Shion closed his eyes in embarrassment, and muffled the shaking breaths that followed. Nezumi began stroking through his hair gently, like he remembered he had used to, from time to time.

“I’m sorry, I can tell things have changed…” he murmured. “Shion… you look really tired. Let’s just get some sleep tonight and we’ll work on the rest from there.” He continued running his hands through Shion’s hair, pausing once to reach over and turn off the light and ease Shion and himself back down onto the bed. Shion inhaled and exhaled slowly and rhythmically, attempting to calm himself back down. He turned in towards Nezumi and reached out his hand to hold his. Nezumi let him, looking at the faint outline of his head and shoulders from the street light coming into the window. Nezumi was warm and smelled like his own home, wearing his own clothes. 

“I’m sorry,” Shion whispered worriedly. “I didn’t mean to react that way.”

“You don’t have to apologize to me,” Nezumi whispered back. He let Shion hold one of his hands between them while his other continued combing through Shion’s hair. His fingers touched his warm scalp, the short fine hairs at the back of his head, and the smooth stretch of skin at his neck which Nezumi lingered on. They remained awake for a while longer, aware of one another’s movements and breathing, before falling off into dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ended up coming out much later than I would have hoped, but I've been absurdly busy at university and I wanted this chapter significantly longer than the last one. I have an outline for the next chapter, but I imagine it will take a while to complete as well, so savor this one as much as you can lol. Thanks for all the kudos and for the comment that was left for the previous chapter. It feels really good to know people enjoy reading this. I put a lot of time and thought into characterization and world-building and I hope it shows.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, after rereading Asano Atsuko's No.6 for the 3rd time in the last 6 years I've finally broken down and decided to write fanfiction for the series out of an understanding of the potential for socialist world-building and a deep love for Nezumi and Shion. Let's see where reunion can take them. Shout out to my bf for spending COVID Summer 2020 reading No. 6 aloud with me, voices and all. If it wasn't for his encouragement I wouldn't have started writing this. As such, there is and will be no beta unless you count Grammarly Premium lol. This is just my selfish indulgence, pure passion project, and workbench for fiction writing practice. I'm hoping to enrich the No. 6 fanfiction database. I hope you'll enjoy this and stick around.  
> \- k


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